Guard for automobile crank cases



1:]. AND E. J. FREIBURGER. GUARD FOR AUTOMOBILE CRANK CASES.

APPLICATION mu) car. 31, 1921.

1,412,049, Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

arren .sre'rss Parser oar rice.

- 1. irosnrn: J. FREIBURGER Ann near, zrjjrnnrnunenn, or roar WAYNE,- INDIA A,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JosnrI-I J- Fm- BURGER and EARL J. FREIBURGER, citizens of the United States, residing at Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen and'State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements ,in Guards for Automobile Crank Cases, of which the following is a specification. v

'Q Tl1e invention relates to guards for crank cases of automoblles.

In the crankcases, the Ford motors .and o'ther motors, the case, rearwardly of the cylinder block, is enlarged to accommodate the magneto and the transmission mechanism, the portion of the, case connecting the enlarged portion and the cylin- ,der block portion being sloped downwardly at its bottom side. Access to the case is afforded by an opening in .the bottom of the cylinder block portion. of thecase, the

opening'being normally closed by a cover. In the Ford motor thefourth cyl1ml r,-or

thatnearest the dashof the vehicle, is positioned beyond the. opening andover the sloping bottom of the case, hence access to the connecting rod ofthat cylinder is difficult and frequently a pin or some other part ofthe connections between the crank shaft and the piston drops down the, sloping bottomof the case into 'engagementwith the magneto short-circu ting the entire electrical system on the vehicle. "To remove the foreign body from the enlarged portion ofthe crank caseit is practically impossible to 'do. otherwise than to tear down the entire motor.

The object of our invention is to. provide an exceedingly simple means for such crank cases by which the danger of foreign bodies 'dropping down the sloping bottom and short-circuiting the magneto is eliminated, the said means being readily installed in the case whether or not the motor is assembled on the case. V r

The invention consists ina guard having an open top and one open endadapted to be inserted in'the crank case of a. motor and placed over the inclined portion of the bottom of the case;

In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated" the invention in simple form as applied, to a Ford motor, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of a Ford motor having the invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 a perspective view of GUARD r03 AUTOMOBILE era-Ann oases.

Specification of Letters Patent. Apr 11 Application filed. October 31, 1921. Serial No. 511,953. i

the guard; Fig. .3 a side elevational View of stalled in the crank case 2 of: the motor.

The material of the guard may be rubberized fabric formed in the desired shape and then vulcanized. However, the material out of which the guard is madeor'the manner in which the guard is produced is not important to the invention, except as one material may be better suited for the purpose than another. The rubberized'fabric material is wellsuite'd for our purposesince the guard may be' collapsed more or less for insertion through the opening 3 in the bottom of the crank caseand then moved along the bottom of the case until it abuts the magneto coil'support l mounted in the enlargedportion 2. of the-case. In this posi-v tion the bottom of the-guard spansthe ,slopingwall 5v of the bottom of the case and therefore shuts off access or communi- .cationbetween the portionfl of the case andthe cylinder block portion 2.

The guard consists of a bottom 6, anend -wall 7 and two side walls 8, the end walls projecting beyond the free end 9 of the bottom and also for a portion of their length projecting above'the end wall 7. The side walls flare outwardly to conform to the contour of the case 2,..theirrear-upper ends adgacent theend wall 7 being reduced in height to obviate interference with the operationuof the crank shaft 10 and the connecting rod 11 of the fourth cylinder (not shown). The upper edgeof the end wall is out out at its central portion'as shown' at 12 to permit the said end .to be engaged under the crankshaft bearing 13 and be tween said cut-out portion and the ends of the walllateral flanges let are formed along the upper edge of the {wall to reinforce the wall and prevent its collapse.

At the forward end of the bottom 6 the material of the same is turned under to form a flange 15 for engagement with the rear rim of the openingS-in the bottom of the case 2 and thereby lock the guard in position and prevent its further movement down the incline 5. The bottom 6 also slopes upwardly from the end wall 7 to its flange 1f. A flange 16 extends inwardly from the lower edge of the projecting portion of each side wall to reinforce the same and also to aid in sustaining the said walls in proper relation with the wall of the case 2.

If desirable a spring 17 may be embedded in the material of the bottom and of each side wall 8 to ensure engagement of' the side walls with the wall of the case and a spring 18 may be embedded in the end wall 7 to, prevent buckling of that wall. However, these springs may be omitted if the material out of which the guard is made is sulliciently strong and flexible to stand up properly and engage the wall of the case. The springs are intended as precautionary measures only.

then the guard is installed it is collapsed sufiiciently to permit of its insertion through the opening; 31 in the case, the opening, of course, beingrelatively narrow. Then inserted, through the opening it is readily moved along. the bottom of the case into engagement with the magneto coil support and the notched end wall engaged under the crank shaft bearing. YVhen placed in proper position. the flange 15 engages over the end wall of the opening 3 and when the cover 19 issecured in place it clamps theflange to thecase, and dislodgment of the guard from its proper position is avoided. W hen in this position any article'talling from the crank shaft or the connecting rod of the fourth cylinder drops into the guard and is supported therein, the removal of the same from the guard'beingreadily accomplished by merely inserting the hand through the opening 3 in the case and. into the guard.

It will be noted that the magnetocoil support 4. forms a closure for a portion of the end'of the crank case 2 and that when the guard is engaged on: it and locked by the flange 15'. the guard is fixed, but subject to removal at any time.

What we claim is: i

1. In combination with the crank case of an internal combustion engine, ot a guard at one end of the case having an open top and one open end and having its side walls engaging the opposite walls of the caseand means to secure the guard in position. tor the purposes described.

2. In combination with the crank case of an'internal combustion engine of a hollow guard at one end of the casehaving an open top and one open end and having its opposite side walls engaging the opposite walls of the case and its bottom engaged on the bottom of'the case as and for the purposes described. I

In combination with the crank case of an internal combustion engine having a downwardly sloping bottom at one end, of a guard disposed: over the said downwardly sloping bottom having its side walls engaging the opposite walls of the case and a portiono'lf its bottom engaged on the:bottom of the case, the guard being hollow and having an open top, and meansto secure'the guard in position.

at. In combination with the crank case of an internal combustion engine having a hearing at one end and a crank shaft supported in the bearing, the bottom of the case sloping downwardly beneath said bearing, of a guard disposed: over the said sloping portion of the bottom having a wall engaged under the said bearing and having its side walls engaged on the opposite walls of the case, the guard being hollow and havingan open top, and means to secure the guard in position.

5. In combination with the crank c-ase'of an internal combustion engine having a hearing at one end anda'crank shaft supported in the bearing, of a hollow guard formed of flexible material disposed; at said end of the case having an open top and one open end, the end wall of the guard having engagement with the bearing and the side walls having engagement with the opposite side walls-ct the case.

6. In combination with thebrank case of an internal combustion engine, a magnetocoil-supporting plate at one end of the case,

a crankshaft bearing at said end of the case,

a hollow guard having an end Wall engaging the sald plate and its upper edge en gaging the said bearing, the side walls of the guard having engagement with the opposite side walls of the case and extending forwardly from the said end wall and' beyond thebottom of the guard, a depending flange at the-forward end of the bottom of the guard and means to clamp the said flange to the bottom of the case.

In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names thisQOth day of October, 1921.

JOSEPH J. FREIBURGEB; EARL J. FREIBURGER; 

